Chocolate Sheet Cake

A versatile cake that dresses up with fresh fruit.  Got this one from Better Homes and Gardens Chocolate book.  I don't use buttermilk, but sour regular milk with a little vinegar - seems to work just fine and I am not stuck with buttermilk that I will not use for anything else.

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter (don't even think about using margarine)
1 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter
 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp buttermilk
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Grease and lightly flour a 15x10x1 inch or a 13x9x2 inch baking pan; set aside.  In a large mixer bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  In a medium saucepan combine the 1 cup butter, water, and the 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.  Bring the mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add the mixture to the dry ingredients, beating on low speed of electric mixer just till combined.  Add eggs, the 1/2 cup buttermilk, and the 1 1/2 tsp vanilla; beat on low speed for 1 minute (batter will be thin).  Turn batter into prepared pan.  Bake in a 350 oven about 25 minutes for the 15x10x1 inch cake, or about 30 to 35 minutes for the 13x9x2 inch cake, or till the cake tests done.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan combine the 1/4 cup butter, 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tbsp buttermilk; bring to boiling.  Remove from heat.  Add powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla; beat till smooth.  Stir in pecans.  Pour hot frosting mixture over the warm cake, spreading evenly.  Cool cake on a wire rack.  Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Chocolate Cinnamon Sheet Cake:  Prepare Chocolate Sheet Cake as above, except stir 1 tsp ground cinnamon into the dry ingredients.